Baby Shower Punch Recipe

Baby Shower Punch Recipes

Serving punch makes your baby shower extra special. However, traditional punch recipes often contain alcohol or caffeine, refined sugar, corn syrup laden soda, food coloring and additives. To help you serve delicious yet more wholesome punch, there are 8 scrumptious recipes below. All feature clever ways to ensure you serve a tasty drink yet keep it as healthful as possible.  

How are the recipes more healthful? First, the recipes are alcohol-free and caffeine-free. Second, they feature organic or natural fruit juice concentrates, juices and sodas. Third, each reduces sugar and corn syrup. Finally, all emphasize the natural color from organic or natural fruit juice concentrates and juices rather than artificial food coloring.

Use pasteurized juices and concentrates for food safety in all recipes. Organic or natural fruit juices, sparkling juices and juice concentrates come in a wide variety of delicious flavors. Check the natural foods section of your local grocery store or shop at your local health food market. Frequently stocked manufacturers to look for include R.W. Knudsen, Cascadian Farms, and Martinellis. Others you might find include Eden Foods, Diva Fruit Group, Lakewood Organic, and Nature’s Flavors. To get a sense of choices, here are the company websites: http://www.knudsenjuices.com/products/,      http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products,

http://www.martinellis.com/products/, http://www.edenfoods.com/store/index.php?cPath=25, http://www.divafruitgroup.com/,   http://www.lakewoodjuices.com/products, and  http://www.naturesflavors.com/ .

Sodas or spritzers come in natural and organic versions which eliminate the additives, high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners of traditional regular and diet sodas. Again, check the natural food section of your grocery store as well as health food stores. Commonly stocked brands to look for include Reed’s, Hansen’s, Santa Cruz Organics, R.W. Knudsen and Blue Sky. Company websites list ingredients and varieties: http://www.reedsgingerbrew.com/brews.html http://www.hansens.com/products/products.php?subcat=2&color=soda http://www.scojuice.com/products/category.aspx?categoryID=80 http://www.knudsenjuices.com/products/category.aspx?groupID=12&categoryID=58    http://www.blueskysoda.com/products/index.php?cat=6

Whichever punch you decide to serve, floating a half dozen thin lemon or lime slices, or some washed berries dresses up the punch. If you wish to add another special touch, bonus ice mold instructions are included at the end of this article.

Pink Punch

Mix 4 cups of unsweetened organic pineapple juice with 4 cups of unsweetened organic cranberry juice and 2 liters (about 8 ½ cups) of ginger ale*. Add ice. Makes 16 one cup servings.

*Such as Hansen’s® diet natural ginger ale soda, Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, Blue Sky® Ginger Ale or REED’s® ginger brew

Sorbet Punch

Mix 1 cup of organic fruit juice concentrate such as strawberry puree or R.W. Knudsen Family® Black Cherry concentrate with 2 liters (8 ½ cups or about 68 oz.) of lemon lime soda*. Add several ice cream scoops of fruit sorbet. After sorbet melts just a bit, stir gently and serve. Sherbet can be substituted for sorbet. Serves about 16.

*Such as Hansen’s® Key Lime Twist Natural Cane Soda, Knudsen Lemon Lime Spritzer or Santa Cruz Organics® Lemon Lime, or Blue Sky® Organic Lemon Lime

 “Champagne” Punch

Mix well 6 oz. of frozen Cascadian Farms® or other lemonade concentrate, 6 oz. of pineapple juice concentrate, and 2 cups of cold water. Add 1 liter (about 4 cups) chilled ginger ale*, 1 liter (about 4 cups) of sparkling water, and 1 bottle of sparkling grape juice**. Makes about 20 ½ cup servings.

*Such as Hansen’s® diet natural ginger ale soda, Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, Blue Sky® Ginger Ale or REED’s® ginger brew

**Martinellis® and R.W. Knudsen Family® make delicious sparkling grape juice

Cranberry Orange Punch

Mix together 1 1/3 cups organic cranberry juice and 6 oz. of unsweetened and undiluted Cascadian Farms® or other orange juice concentrate. Add 2 liters (8 ½ cups or about 68 oz.) of ginger ale*. Mix gently and add ice. Makes 20 ½ cup servings.

*Such as Hansen’s® diet natural ginger ale soda, Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, Blue Sky® Ginger Ale or REED’s® ginger brew

Tropical Punch

Blend or mash well 4 ripe organic bananas with 1 cup of organic unrefined turbinado sugar and 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir 3 cups of organic pineapple juice, 12 oz. of frozen Cascadian Farms® or other orange juice concentrate, and 12 oz. of frozen Cascadian Farms® or other lemonade concentrate with 3 more cups of water. Blend banana mixture with juice mixture and freeze overnight.

3 hours before the party remove tropical blend from the freezer. Place in punch bowl and gently stir with 3 liters (about 12 ½ cups) of ginger ale*. Serves about 20.

*Such as Hansen’s® diet natural ginger ale soda, Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, Blue Sky® Ginger Ale or REED’s® ginger brew

Ginger-Lime Punch

Mix 12 oz. of frozen undiluted limeade concentrate with 6 oz. of frozen undiluted Cascadian Farms® or other lemonade concentrate. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped, candied ginger. Let this mixture chill for 3 hours in the refrigerator to blend the flavors. Then, add 4 cups of cold water and 2 liters (8 ½ cups or about 68 oz.) of ginger ale*. Serves approximately 20.

*Such as Hansen’s® diet natural ginger ale soda, Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, Blue Sky® Ginger Ale or REED’s® ginger brew

Fruit Punch

Using a large pitcher, cover and refrigerate overnight 2 decaffeinated black tea bags or 4 herbal apple tea* bags of your choice covered with 4 cups of water.

The next day remove the tea bags remembering to squeeze each to get the entire flavor out. Mix in 4 cups of organic apple cider, 3 cups of apricot nectar**, and 6 oz. of thawed frozen Cascadian Farms® or other lemonade concentrate. Stir in 1 liter (4 cups or 34 oz.) of lemon lime sparkling water. Serves 20.

*Celestial Seasonings brand reports that they do not use any herbs that are considered dangerous during pregnancy. The company indicates that they voluntary choose to use herbs from guidelines that the FDA has published. See http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/herbaltea.html and http://www.celestialseasonings.com/ for more information.

**Check ingredients. Most brands contain high fructose corn syrup. R.W. Knudsen Family® Apricot Nectar is a great choice. Another option is to make your own http://www.ochef.com/665.htm .

Cranberry Spice Punch/Wassail

Pour 2 ½ cups of boiling water over 4 cranberry herbal tea* bags plus ¼ teaspoon each of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Steep 15 minutes.

Remove tea bags. Add ¼ cup of unrefined turbinado sugar stirred until dissolved in 1 ½ cups of warm water. Mix in 2 cups of unsweetened organic cranberry juice, ½ cup of cold organic orange juice and 1 /3 cup of organic lemon juice. Serve chilled with ice or warm as a wassail. Makes 7 ½ cup servings.

*Celestial Seasonings brand reports that they do not use any herbs that are considered dangerous during pregnancy. The company indicates that they voluntary choose to use herbs from guidelines that the FDA has published. See http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/herbaltea.html and http://www.celestialseasonings.com/ for more information.

More healthy punch recipes can be found at R.W. Knudsen and Martinellis sites: http://www.knudsenjuices.com/recipes/category.aspx?section=punches, http://www.martinellis.com/recipes/n/index.shtml .

Ice Molds

Use any mold in a ring shape. A fluted or decorative Jell-O mold works well. Fill mold about 3/4 full of water to judge how much water to freeze. Empty the water into a large measuring cup and stir 5-6 times over about 10 minutes to release air bubbles. Then, pour the water into your mold and freeze overnight.

To release the ice into the punch bowl on the day of the party, hold mold with ice side down. Wrap a hot wet towel around the mold. The ice mold will drop out into the punch bowl after a few moments.

If you desire to make a decorative ice mold, you can layer ice with fruit such as whole berries, lemon or lime slices, or cherries. Too, you could use mint leaves.

To do this, partially freeze a layer of water in the mold until slushy. Then arrange fruit or mint leaves decoratively around the mold on top of the slushy ice layer. Carefully pour water over the fruit or leaves until the mold is about ¾ full of water. Freeze overnight. When ready to release, use the hot towel method.

Whether you choose your favorite from above or ask the mother-to-be which is hers, each recipe gifts the mother-to-be and guests with a delicious yet more wholesome beverage. Your punch will be tasty, colorful, and far healthier than traditional choices.